Morocco: Complementary information to MAR33609.E of 7 February 2000 on whether Saharawis who refuse to join the Polisario are perceived as supporters of the Moroccan government; whether Saharawis in general are perceived as members of the Polisario by the Moroccan authorities; and situation of the Lahalaleef tribe
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 3 March 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MAR34024.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Morocco: Complementary information to MAR33609.E of 7 February 2000 on whether Saharawis who refuse to join the Polisario are perceived as supporters of the Moroccan government; whether Saharawis in general are perceived as members of the Polisario by the Moroccan authorities; and situation of the Lahalaleef tribe, 3 March 2000, MAR34024.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad60c.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was received from a member of the Association pour un référendum régulier au Sahara Occidental (ARSO) (29 Feb. 2000). ARSO was founded in 1991 by the Swiss Committee for Support to the Saharawi People (Comité suisse de soutien au peuple sahraoui), originally mandated to find observers and organize observation for the Western Sahara, announced in 1992. After 1992 ARSO was mandated by the Brussels-based European Coordination for Support to the Saharawi People (Coordination européenne du soutien au peuple sahraoui) to gather and disseminate information on the Western Sahara issue. However, the information reflects his personal views.
On whether the Polisario uses forced recruitment and whether whether Saharawis who refuse to join the Polisario are perceived as supporters of the Moroccan government, the Arso member stated that the formulation of both questions was inadequate. According to the ASRO member,
[Translation] The Polisario Front manages the Saharawi refugee camps located on land granted by the Algerian authorities south of Tindouf, on Algerian territory. The Saharawis proclaimed their republic in 1976, the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Hence, the inhabitants of the camps and of the liberated zones of Western Sahara are considered as, and consider themselves as citizens of the SADR and members of the Polisario Front. The persons who want to leave the camps for various reasons can do so and remain citizens of the DSAR. I have no knowledge of any kind of forced recruitment. Moreover, forced recruitment would be somewhat difficult in a desert region.
On whether Saharawis in general are perceived as members of the
Polisario by the Moroccan authorities, the ARSO member states that Country Reports 1999 perfectly addresses the question. Country Reports 1999 is available on the Internet at:
On situation of the "Lahalaleef" tribe, the ARSO member stated that he was not aware of the existence of such a tribe. In his opinion, it could be, as phonetics suggest, a faction of a tribe (ahal = son of ).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Association pour un référendum libre et régulier au sahara Occidental (ARSO). 29 February 2000. Correspondence sent by a member.
